Jacob Nix Will Attempt To Rehab UCL Injury

Padres righty Jacob Nix has decided not to undergo Tommy John surgery at the present, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports on Twitter. Rather, he’ll attempt to rehab back from what is described as a small tear of his ulnar collateral ligament.

It’s always good to hear that there’s a possible non-surgical path back from an injury to that area. TJ procedures are remarkably effective at giving pitchers a new lease on life, but they generally come with a year-plus recovery timeline and hardly guarantee a full return to pre-surgery ability levels.

The 23-year-old Nix has already had a circuitous path to the majors, so he’ll no doubt be relieved that there’s a possibility he’ll avoid another lengthy detour. Back in 2014, he was slated to sign an over-slot deal to join the Astros organization, but that fell apart as part of the Brady Aiken saga.

Nix landed with the Friars in the third round of the following year’s draft and moved steadily up the ladder thereafter. He turned in ten sparkling upper-minors outings in 2018, working to a 1.84 ERA with 44 strikeouts and nine walks over 58 2/3 innings, before getting his first call to the bigs.

While he was knocked around in his first taste of the majors, Nix entered camp this year with a shot at earning another look. The elbow woes eliminated that possibility, but he could still get back into the mix later this season if he’s able to progress through the rehab program.

Santana did not have a UCL tear. Here is the full list of all the players that have had PRP for a UCL tear. Santana is not on it. Cross reference that with the tab for players that have had TJ surgery.

That’s inaccurate. He will be getting paid and be accruing service time since he ended last year on the Big League roster and was never optioned in the spring before he hurt himself. It’s how Alex Dickerson has two and a half years of service time, despite not playing a game the past two years.

Nope. Just get the surgery over with. At worst you become a pen piece when yates stammen are gone. He’s got the fastball for it. Him and lamet would be deadly out of the pen, if healthy. Be reminiscent of Kelvin Herrera and Greg Holland when the Royals won it all.

Plus I think this is where baseball is heading. Starters going 5-6 innings and out before 3rd time through the order, relief guy gets you 1-2 innings to the 7th or 8th and bring in your best guys for 7th 8th 9th. Gonna need guys who can give you 2 ish innings. 3 if you go 3-3-2-1 or 3-3-1-1-1

About a third of pitchers who get TJS never come back from it, according to data. So I would argue Nix and the doctors should make that choice. Surgery is still surgery and it’s still scary to think about.

My Call – He knows he’s overmatched in the show. He will milk 2-3 months rehab. Then, after a month, surgery. Next season he won’t throw until July/August. Now it’s 2021 his comeback fails. He walks with almost $2M and got to watch Manny and Company from the best seat in the house – the dugout. Just mix in real life with baseball and it becomes obvious what he will do.